A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of heating and ice prevention, more specifically, a solar powered heating system for use with a street or ground.
B. Discussion of the Prior Art
As will be discussed immediately below, no prior art discloses a street and ground warming system that is installed during construction of a street, which includes at least'an array of solar panels to generate electricity to power heating elements that traverse underneath the street or ground in order to prevent freezing of said surfaces; wherein the warming system includes a box that supports solar cells on a top surface; wherein the box is installed into the ground with the top surface level with surrounding ground or street; wherein the box may include pre-drilled holes along side surfaces that enable rebar to pass there through and in which heating elements coil around said rebar and transmit heat through the rebar to the surrounding sub-surface and surfaces; wherein a temperature sensor and control module monitors sub-surface temperatures and controls the output of the heating elements; and wherein other powering means may be employed to power the heating elements.
The Pais Patent Application Publication (U.S. Pub. No. 2004/0099654) discloses an outdoor heating mat for restricting snow and ice build-up. However, the outdoor heating mat is not a heating system that is built into a street or ground sub-surface, and which prevents the surface and sub-surface from freezing.
The Ervin, Jr. Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,818) discloses a device for melting snow and ice from outdoor surfaces in which a plurality of mats are provided. Again, the device is a mat that is placed atop a ground or surface and which heats the top surface thereon, and is not a heating system that is partially buried into the ground or is built into a street and which heats both the sub-surface and the surface.
The Naylor Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 7,230,213) discloses a modular heated cover for melting ice and snow. Again, the modular heating cover is not partially buried and/or built into a sub-surface of a ground or street so as to heat both the sub-surface and the surface.
The Shields Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,987,928) discloses a recirculated heated air mat system that melts snow and ice from driveways or roofs, preventing its accumulation. However, the mat system is placed atop the ground surface and heats the top surface thereon as opposed to a heating system that heats both the sub-surface as well as the top surface.
The Kuntz Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,109) discloses a plant protection device that includes a root protection barrier that may be heated. However, the device is directed to protecting the roots and heating a plant, and is not a heating system that prevents freezing of a sub-surface and the top surface of a street or ground.
The McAnulty Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 7,637,053) discloses a crop protection device that is designed to cover a number of citrus fruit trees during periods of cold weather. However, the device is not designed to prevent the ground or top surface of a street from freezing.
The Hanley Patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,971) discloses a solar heated driveway apparatus that comprises a solar collector panel with a conduit to enhance heat flow to assist in melting snow and ice relative to the driveway pad. However, the apparatus does not include a box atop of which is a solar cell array in connection with a heating element that can extend through the sub-surface or wherein the box has holes enabling rebar to traverse through and transmit heat thereto via heating elements located within said box.
The Richardson Patent (U.S. Pat. No. Des. 542,070) illustrates an ornamental design for a snow melting carpet, which doe not depict a box that is partialy buried.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective and particular objects and requirements, they do not describe a street and ground warming system that is installed during construction of a street, which includes at least an array of solar panels to generate electricity to power heating elements that traverse underneath the street or ground in order to prevent freezing of said surfaces; wherein the warming system includes a box that supports solar cells on a top surface; wherein the box is installed into the ground with the top surface level with surrounding ground or street; wherein the box may include pre-drilled holes along side surfaces that enable rebar to pass there through and in which heating elements coil around said rebar and transmit heat through the rebar to the surrounding sub-surface and surfaces; wherein a temperature sensor and control module monitors sub-surface temperatures and controls the output of the heating elements; and wherein other powering means may be employed to power the heating elements. In this regard, the street and ground warming system departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art.